BRIDGEPORT -- The case against Stratford's former EMT head, Bruce Bean Connery, charged with sexually assaulting two young Monroe girls he was teaching piano to, was continued without a plea to May 27.

Connery 68, of Greenwood Lane, Monroe, stood beside his lawyer, John R. Gulash, and before Superior Court Judge Earl Richards on Wednesday morning. Both declined comment later, as they later left the Golden Hill Street courthouse.

Connery is charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

On March 7, the father of a 10-year-old girl complained to police that his daughter had been inappropriately touched while Connery was giving her piano lessons at her home. Police said the girl later told them Connery would often rub her back under her shirt during her lessons, to the point where she would tuck her shirt in and wear a belt to secure it to avoid his advances.

A few days later, police said the parents of a 16-year-old girl came forward after learning about the other girl's allegations.

Connery had been giving piano lessons to the older girl for about 10 years, police said. The girl told police that in October 2013 Connery began putting his hands under her shirt during her lessons and would "feel around front," according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

She told police that the last time she took lessons with Connery was two weeks before coming to police, and his hands had been underneath her clothing the entire lesson. The affidavit states that Connery told the girl he was her favorite student, and explained his touching as, "Sorry, Italians are very hands-on people."